Drink More Water | Easy Citrus Infused Water By The Glass

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Brita at Target. All opinions are 100% mine. We all know we should drink more water, so here’s a simple solution for making tasty citrus infused water by the glass any time!

We all learned in grade school that the human body is around 60% water, right? So it stands to reason that drinking a lot of water is pretty important as far as keeping our bodies running smoothly.

But how much is really necessary? I ran across some pretty interesting facts the other day… Like how we don’t feel thirsty until we’ve lost 2-3% of our body’s water, but mental performance and physical coordination can become impaired with just a 1% loss. A 5% loss can cause fainting, and a 10% loss is enough to cause death from dehydration.

Pretty eye opening, isn’t it?

How To Drink More When Your Tap Water Sucks

I know I personally struggle with drinking enough water on a daily basis. Partially because our water supply is AWFUL — as evidenced by the mineral buildup in our sinks, showers, and appliances. We been saving for a whole house water filter (and a second hot water tank, because 5 kids), but in the meantime we’ve been getting by purchasing bottled water (not ideal) and with a subscription for 5-gallon water jugs (expensive).
So when I heard about the new Brita Stream that’s now available at Target, I was pretty interested to a) try it out and b) compare the cost savings. I was initially drawn in by its new sleeker space-efficient design and color selection: white, gray, turquoise and red. But it actually has a number of cool features!

We’ve used Brita Pitchers and Dispensers in the past, but one of the main reasons we moved away from them was the time it took to fill them. Most of their models filter the water as you fill the container, which can be a very slow process of filling, waiting for it to filter, and then repeating until full. This method just couldn’t keep up with the needs of a family of seven.

The Brita Stream eliminates this pain point by filtering the water as you pour. It even filters ice water! Some might complain that it pours a little too slowly, but this is actually ideal for households with younger children. Coupled with a snap-on lid, the Brita Stream is much more kid-friendly than previous models we’ve tried.

Filtered vs. Bottled: A Cost Comparison

I’m going to try to simplify this by just focussing on the cost of the Brita Stream replacement filters versus the 5-gallon jugs we’ve been having delivered monthly. One Brita Stream filter is priced at $8.99 and will filter 40 gallons of water, which Brita equates to about 2 months of use for the average family. Compared to $9.99 for a 5-gallon jug through our delivery service, it’s clear that there are some major cost savings to be had here.

Unfortunately, we’re not the average family, so I’m not sure the Brita Stream can completely replace our delivery service. Brita recommends only filtering up to 2 gallons per day, and we’re definitely well over that on days when we have soccer practice and/or games. I could purchase additional pitchers, but then we have storage space issues to contend with. It also remains to be seen whether that 40-gallon estimate holds true with our very hard water, so I’ll be monitoring how many pitchers we can pour before the indicator light says it’s time for a new filter.

Either way, the Brita Stream seems like an excellent supplement to our current water usage that should save us some cash over time!

Easy Citrus Infused Water By The Glass

Okay, okay… even having fresh cold filtered water on hand isn’t always enough to make myself drink more water. Sometimes I just want a little flavor, you know? Especially since I gave up soda years ago. So I’ve been experimenting with infused waters lately, and I thought I’d share a quick tip for making the simplest, easiest citrus infused water by the glass. Are you ready???

Keep sliced lemons and limes (and/or oranges) in your freezer to make citrus infused water at any time! Citrus infused water actually isn’t ideal for making ahead of time, because it has a tendency to turn bitter from the pith. So this is the perfect solution.

Just drop a few frozen slices in a glass, fill it up with cold filtered water, and you’re set! Or if you prefer super icy cold citrus infused water (like me!), just layer the frozen lemon slices or lime slices with plenty of ice and add water.

Easy Citrus Infused Water

Description

We all know we should drink more water, so here’s a simple solution for making tasty citrus infused water by the glass any time!

Ingredients

1 lemon

1 lime

8-oz. cold filtered water

ice (as desired)

Instructions

Wash and slice the lemons and limes, setting the end pieces aside.

Layer about 3 slices of each in a large glass and add ice as desired.

Pour about 8-oz. of cold filtered water over the top.

Refill your glass with cold filtered water up to two more times to get the most out of each batch of citrus slice.

Nutrition

Calories:0

Sugar:0 g

Sodium:0 mg

Fat:0 g

Saturated Fat:0 g

Unsaturated Fat:0 g

Trans Fat:0 g

Carbohydrates:0 g

Fiber:0 g

Protein:0 g

Cholesterol:0 mg

Did you make this recipe?

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Tips For Making Citrus Infused Water

Wash your lemons and limes well before slicing. We just want to infuse our water with flavor, not pesticides and germs!

Cut the lemons and limes into thin slices, rather than wedges. More surface area in contact with the water means more flavor!

Reuse your slices 2-3 times before tossing. Stretch your budget by refilling your glass using the same lemon and lime slices up to three times!

For a sweeter flavor add oranges. I happen to have a deep love of anything sour, but when I’m craving a little sweetness, sliced oranges, mandarins or tangerines make a delicious addition! Or if I want to go even more sour, a slice of grapefruit does the trick.

Sip with a straw. Acidic fruits can be damaging to tooth enamel, but using a straw keeps it from coming in direct contact with your teeth.

So that’s it — flavorful citrus infused water by the glass with no sugar added! If you close your eyes while sipping, you can almost imagine that you’re staying at a fancy resort. Almost…

Do you drink enough water? What’s your favorite way to make sure you stay hydrated?